Power Yoga

In the general scenario, Power Yoga is a term that is used in the western countries to describe a vigorous, intense, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga. Having a strong resemblance to Ashtanga yoga, most of the power yoga is closely modeled on the Ashtanga mode of implementation. It was in the middle of the 1990’s decade that the term Power Yoga became popular and common amongst the masses. That was the time when several yoga teachers were seeking to find a way to make Ashtanga Yoga more accessible, more acceptable and more compatible to a western audience as before the advent of power yoga, ashtanga yoga was not really popular in the western countries, the people of which practiced other forms of yoga quite regularly. However besides sharing a strong similarity, ashtanga yoga and power yoga have some notable differences as well. For example, unlike the practices of Ashtanga yoga, power yoga does not follow a fixed series of poses. Hence power yoga classes are not the same anywhere or any day. They have a strong tendency to change from place to place, from time to time. The only element that all of these power yoga classes share in common is the emphasis that the power yoga instructors keep on strength (both mental and physical) and flexibility.

Power yoga was invented by two American yoga teachers namely Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest. Both of these teachers were students themselves of the Ashtanga expert yogi Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. For both Birch and Bryan Kest power yoga became an inspiration, which they were eager to share with their native fellows and which they felt would benefit them hugely besides other forms of yoga. Then there is Baron Baptiste, who has his own style of teaching power yoga. In the case of Baron Baptiste power yoga is different from the regular power yoga and the kind he believes and preaches is only taught by the teachers that he certifies himself. Over the years, power yoga has gained such a huge degree of popularity in the west that it has become a booming industry for the media, for teachers as well as for practitioners. For example, the famous channel mtv airs power yoga programs. Being such a hugely popular channel, the mtv power yoga is responsible for generating awareness about power yoga amongst the general western public. Even in Portland power yoga is beginning to gain a huge degree of popularity and acceptance. Power yoga instructors, although varying in personalities, do tend to have an element of similarity in their teaching style. Although power yoga varies from teacher to teacher, time to time and place to place, this similarity in teaching style emerges from the power yoga teacher certification, which these teachers were given on having been completed the course of teacher training. An institute that teaches power yoga is the Earth power yoga institute.

There are great health benefits attached to the practice of power yoga exercises. The entire power yoga workout involves a sequence, which elongates and stretches the muscles simultaneously in sync with the building of strength, stamina and lean muscle mass. In other words, power yoga has the power to reshape one’s body and mind. That is why it is called power yoga.

Some power yoga teachers teach their students power yoga through different styles. Some do it by demonstrating the power yoga positions and exercises personally and others take the help of power yoga videos. Free power yoga exercises could also be practiced by buying the dvds or videos and practicing the regime of power yoga at home. A very interesting kind of power yoga is progressive power yoga, which is practiced in 70 countries worldwide. Then there is core power yoga, which is a vigorous yoga routine that aims at healing, detoxifying and stimulating the body and mind with the help of acquiring balance and intention.